Self-Planned Alaska Tour: How Big a Hassle?
Feb 28th, 2016, 02:50 PM
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Self-Planned Alaska Tour: How Big a Hassle?
We have taken a cruise to the lower part of Alaska, and we are thinking about flying to Anchorage, renting a car, and making our own arrangements to visit Denali NP, Kenai Fjords NP, Prince William Sound, and other such attractions.
We usually book our own trips, but Alaska seems to have challenges that most US destinations don't have.
How easy is it to do what we hope to do?
What are the main attractions we should include in our itinerary?
Hotel and restaurant suggestions are appreciated.
HTtY
We usually book our own trips, but Alaska seems to have challenges that most US destinations don't have.
How easy is it to do what we hope to do?
What are the main attractions we should include in our itinerary?
Hotel and restaurant suggestions are appreciated.
HTtY
Feb 28th, 2016, 03:08 PM
#2
Would you believe? My DW and I are flying to Anchorage on 5/31 and have a car rented. We celebrated our 40th in November. We will be going to Denali and Fairbanks with a B&B in North Pole.
We will be coming back by way of Palmer and then going to another B&B in Homer.
We fly back on 6/9 on the red eye to Seattle.
I go back to work on 6/13 for the USFS as a lookout.
We will be coming back by way of Palmer and then going to another B&B in Homer.
We fly back on 6/9 on the red eye to Seattle.
I go back to work on 6/13 for the USFS as a lookout.
Feb 28th, 2016, 03:33 PM
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We did 8 days on land and then a cruise - the land part booking ourselves. It works like any other trip planning - I did not find any great challenges other than sticker shock and that some reservations are either non-refundable or only with 30 days notice. Makes sense since the tourist season is so short.
Only advice - don't spend much time in Anchorage.
Only advice - don't spend much time in Anchorage.
Feb 28th, 2016, 03:48 PM
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Not sure what challenges you're talking about. I have always planned our two week trips and Alaska wasn't any more difficult than any other place in the US. I know you have done likewise, so no need to feel intimidated by that big state up north. We basically did a two week trip that included the places you mentioned with the exception of Denali NP. As you know, you're the ones who need to decide how long you want to take seeing an area. You can either rush through "to see it," or spend a bit more time "to know it."
Read/research lots, decide on the towns you'd like to stay, google those towns for accommodations, rent a car at the airport. Once you get the basic outline you can fill in specific sights to see and maybe even a special restaurant. Many times we've come across great places to eat just by word of mouth, seeing ads for them or just taking our chances and stopping in.
Read/research lots, decide on the towns you'd like to stay, google those towns for accommodations, rent a car at the airport. Once you get the basic outline you can fill in specific sights to see and maybe even a special restaurant. Many times we've come across great places to eat just by word of mouth, seeing ads for them or just taking our chances and stopping in.
Feb 28th, 2016, 07:55 PM
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We felt as though we already had a lot of driving (1,500 mi) during the two weeks and didn't want to drive further only to spend even more time riding on a bus at the national park. Also did quite a bit of hiking and were told we could possibly get good views of Mt McKinley from Denali State Park, which we did. So that was as far north as we went.
You didn't say how much time you have, but if longer, go for it.
Our breakdown was:
Girdwood 2 nights, which included a late night arrival after flight
Homer 2 nights
Seward 3 nights, day trip to Kenai Fjords NP
7 hr ferry to Valdez
Valdez 3 nights would only suggest this if you want great hiking (Thompson Pass)
Palmer 1 night
Willow 3 nights base for Denali SP, Talkeetna
Only spent last full day, before an evening flight, in Anchorage
Let me know if you want more details, but as I said, we hiked a lot, but also saw local sights. Stayed in B&B's.
You didn't say how much time you have, but if longer, go for it.
Our breakdown was:
Girdwood 2 nights, which included a late night arrival after flight
Homer 2 nights
Seward 3 nights, day trip to Kenai Fjords NP
7 hr ferry to Valdez
Valdez 3 nights would only suggest this if you want great hiking (Thompson Pass)
Palmer 1 night
Willow 3 nights base for Denali SP, Talkeetna
Only spent last full day, before an evening flight, in Anchorage
Let me know if you want more details, but as I said, we hiked a lot, but also saw local sights. Stayed in B&B's.
Feb 29th, 2016, 02:01 AM
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Regarding Denali - it is a long drive. We went and am glad we did, since unlikely to go to Alaska again. Took the 12-hour school bus trip in and out. Saw wildlife, but animal per hour was low. And the unpaved road has many terrifying-to-me drop offs and when one meets a bus going in the other direction, you creep past each other.
Anchorage - we spent 2 nights (arrival nite plus one). Husband and son took a local hike and saw a bear on the path.
Kenai Peninsula felt like real Alaska to me. I was advised here not to try to drive the entire Peninsula and concentrate on a few places - we spent most of the time in Seward and took an all-day wildlife boat tour. That was great.
We stopped in Juneau on our cruise. If you have not been there on your cruises, I might consider adding that to your itinerary - but only way to get there is by air or ferry system.
Anchorage - we spent 2 nights (arrival nite plus one). Husband and son took a local hike and saw a bear on the path.
Kenai Peninsula felt like real Alaska to me. I was advised here not to try to drive the entire Peninsula and concentrate on a few places - we spent most of the time in Seward and took an all-day wildlife boat tour. That was great.
We stopped in Juneau on our cruise. If you have not been there on your cruises, I might consider adding that to your itinerary - but only way to get there is by air or ferry system.
Feb 29th, 2016, 02:06 AM
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With limited time, skipping the long drive to Denali might be a good suggestion. There is more to see and do when you go south of Anchorage. But not to far north, Independence Mine was a very interesting visit with some restored mining town buildings. We only drove as far north as Talkeetna but had a great view of Denali on super clear days. You might consider B&Bs instead of hotels but the trick would be finding owners willing to chat instead of someone who just rents out the room over the garage, cash only please.
Depending on weather, you might want to alter your route to take boat trip out of Seward on a day with calm seas/ good weather.
One of our favorite places to eat was a family restaurant in Kenai that had deep fried halibut bites and peanut butter milk shakes.
Depending on weather, you might want to alter your route to take boat trip out of Seward on a day with calm seas/ good weather.
One of our favorite places to eat was a family restaurant in Kenai that had deep fried halibut bites and peanut butter milk shakes.
Feb 29th, 2016, 03:27 AM
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There are several TRs here that give lots of information on places to stay, things to do etc. this one by indiacouple is quite interesting:
http://www.fodors.com/community/unit...-in-alaska.cfm
I would not want to go to Alaska and miss Denali NP. We took the 8 hour bus trip but I wish we could have done the longer one. Do pick up extra snacks etc. if you go on it. We were on a cruise/land package and I so wish we had done the trip on our own. Alas, the others in the family were not comfortable doing that.
Have fun planning and taking the trip!
http://www.fodors.com/community/unit...-in-alaska.cfm
I would not want to go to Alaska and miss Denali NP. We took the 8 hour bus trip but I wish we could have done the longer one. Do pick up extra snacks etc. if you go on it. We were on a cruise/land package and I so wish we had done the trip on our own. Alas, the others in the family were not comfortable doing that.
Have fun planning and taking the trip!
Feb 29th, 2016, 06:50 AM
#12
Some comments as a long time resident and frequent traveler...
Timing. I don't think you've asked and I don't think this has been addressed very much, but timing and location matter. For example, in June the daylight is constant in much of interior and southcentral Alaska, even if the sun is below the horizon for a few hours. Thus - if you want - your "touring hours" can be significantly longer than they would be elsewhere.
Most years (and there can be exceptions, maybe this year, if the winter's been warmer or dryer than average, or the opposite) in June, areas around lakes and rivers can offer world-class mosquito feeding. Wonder Lake in Denali can be nothing short of hellish for bugs in June, and the same goes for other marshy or forested areas throughout the state.
By late August, on the other hand, the bugs are gone and in Denali the tundra starts turning color, making an amazing scene. But it's also starting to cool off, and in some areas it can start getting wet (not that it can't be wet all summer, which happens.) By the middle of September fall has arrived - my personal favorite time of year. http://gardyloo.us/akmirrorlakehc2.jpg
Accommodation. Tourism in Alaska is very seasonal, and areas like Denali experience definite crunch and slack periods. Groups, in particular those assembled by cruise lines, book up available accommodations en masse, and at peak times it can be very hard to find a decent place to stay. At Denali, one can find oneself having to drive (or maybe shuttle) many miles just to get to where the buses depart for the drive through the interior of the park. Combined with the long distances inside the park itself, it can make for a very long day sitting in a vehicle.
Limited road system. For typical itineraries that include Denali and the Kenai Peninsula, you have to double back in both directions, unless you want to spend the big bucks to drive (and ferry in one instance) a big loop - Anchorage to Denali to Fairbanks to Valdez to Whittier (ferry) and back to Anchorage (or back to Anchorage on the Glenn Hwy, a shorter, less scenic and non-ferry route.) And for the most part, that's it. There are very few roads in Alaska; the vast majority of the state is accessible only by air (or ferry for a few areas.) I always recommend people get up in the air at least once during any trip to Alaska, just to get a sense of the scale if nothing else.
Anchorage. Yeah, so the saying goes that Anchorage is terrific because it's only 20 minutes from Alaska. Well,nowadays make that 45, but you get the idea. It's true the city isn't going to win any beauty contests, although its setting is up there with Vancouver's and Salt Lake City's. But it has many things going for it. Where else can you fish for salmon in the middle of a big city? Where else can you visit a native heritage center that enlightens you about several native cultures at one time? It's like a lot of middle-sized American cities - so-so to visit, great place to live. Look at it through those eyes.
Cost. Yeah, expensive, but therein lies an opportunity if you look at it from a different angle.
Example: Many people take a flightseeing trip while land touring in Alaska - Denali out of Talkeetna being a popular option. No question, it's spectacular, but don't forget that half the visitors to Denali never see the mountain because of clouds. Cost, around $200 - $400+ per person for a couple of hours in the air.
OR, a round trip from Anchorage to Nome or Kotzebue on Alaska Airlines for $300 - $330, less if you have Alaska miles. Hotels in either community (Nome the historic gold rush town on the Bering Sea, Kotzebue an Eskimo village above the arctic circle and on an arm of the Arctic Ocean) cost about the same as those in Anchorage or around Denali, so call it a wash on that score. Plus, you don't need a $100-a-day rental car while you're there, so subtract those costs.
What you get for that investment is a real sense of the remarkable diversity - geographic, cultural - that Alaska offers "off the road system." See the actual midnight sun or visit an Inupiat fish camp in Kotz, rent a car in Nome and drive off into the tundra on the Seward Peninsula - birds, muskox, bears, caribou, gold mining history, native villages...
My point being, there are lots of choices on how you can spend your time and money. Some might involve amazing sights like Denali from Wonder Lake (through the bugs and clouds, maybe) and others might expose you to Alaska's rich human story, every bit as compelling as its moose and mountains.
Just sayin'. Do the research, but also do some self-analysis about what it is you want to see and experience while you're in the north. They don't call it the Great Land for nothing.
Timing. I don't think you've asked and I don't think this has been addressed very much, but timing and location matter. For example, in June the daylight is constant in much of interior and southcentral Alaska, even if the sun is below the horizon for a few hours. Thus - if you want - your "touring hours" can be significantly longer than they would be elsewhere.
Most years (and there can be exceptions, maybe this year, if the winter's been warmer or dryer than average, or the opposite) in June, areas around lakes and rivers can offer world-class mosquito feeding. Wonder Lake in Denali can be nothing short of hellish for bugs in June, and the same goes for other marshy or forested areas throughout the state.
By late August, on the other hand, the bugs are gone and in Denali the tundra starts turning color, making an amazing scene. But it's also starting to cool off, and in some areas it can start getting wet (not that it can't be wet all summer, which happens.) By the middle of September fall has arrived - my personal favorite time of year. http://gardyloo.us/akmirrorlakehc2.jpg
Accommodation. Tourism in Alaska is very seasonal, and areas like Denali experience definite crunch and slack periods. Groups, in particular those assembled by cruise lines, book up available accommodations en masse, and at peak times it can be very hard to find a decent place to stay. At Denali, one can find oneself having to drive (or maybe shuttle) many miles just to get to where the buses depart for the drive through the interior of the park. Combined with the long distances inside the park itself, it can make for a very long day sitting in a vehicle.
Limited road system. For typical itineraries that include Denali and the Kenai Peninsula, you have to double back in both directions, unless you want to spend the big bucks to drive (and ferry in one instance) a big loop - Anchorage to Denali to Fairbanks to Valdez to Whittier (ferry) and back to Anchorage (or back to Anchorage on the Glenn Hwy, a shorter, less scenic and non-ferry route.) And for the most part, that's it. There are very few roads in Alaska; the vast majority of the state is accessible only by air (or ferry for a few areas.) I always recommend people get up in the air at least once during any trip to Alaska, just to get a sense of the scale if nothing else.
Anchorage. Yeah, so the saying goes that Anchorage is terrific because it's only 20 minutes from Alaska. Well,nowadays make that 45, but you get the idea. It's true the city isn't going to win any beauty contests, although its setting is up there with Vancouver's and Salt Lake City's. But it has many things going for it. Where else can you fish for salmon in the middle of a big city? Where else can you visit a native heritage center that enlightens you about several native cultures at one time? It's like a lot of middle-sized American cities - so-so to visit, great place to live. Look at it through those eyes.
Cost. Yeah, expensive, but therein lies an opportunity if you look at it from a different angle.
Example: Many people take a flightseeing trip while land touring in Alaska - Denali out of Talkeetna being a popular option. No question, it's spectacular, but don't forget that half the visitors to Denali never see the mountain because of clouds. Cost, around $200 - $400+ per person for a couple of hours in the air.
OR, a round trip from Anchorage to Nome or Kotzebue on Alaska Airlines for $300 - $330, less if you have Alaska miles. Hotels in either community (Nome the historic gold rush town on the Bering Sea, Kotzebue an Eskimo village above the arctic circle and on an arm of the Arctic Ocean) cost about the same as those in Anchorage or around Denali, so call it a wash on that score. Plus, you don't need a $100-a-day rental car while you're there, so subtract those costs.
What you get for that investment is a real sense of the remarkable diversity - geographic, cultural - that Alaska offers "off the road system." See the actual midnight sun or visit an Inupiat fish camp in Kotz, rent a car in Nome and drive off into the tundra on the Seward Peninsula - birds, muskox, bears, caribou, gold mining history, native villages...
My point being, there are lots of choices on how you can spend your time and money. Some might involve amazing sights like Denali from Wonder Lake (through the bugs and clouds, maybe) and others might expose you to Alaska's rich human story, every bit as compelling as its moose and mountains.
Just sayin'. Do the research, but also do some self-analysis about what it is you want to see and experience while you're in the north. They don't call it the Great Land for nothing.
Feb 29th, 2016, 07:09 AM
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I love this forum. Many thanks for your thoughtful answers to my questions.
The reason I am concerned about "hassle" is that much of what was easy for me a few years ago is a challenge now. You have been most encouraging.
HTtY
The reason I am concerned about "hassle" is that much of what was easy for me a few years ago is a challenge now. You have been most encouraging.
HTtY
Feb 29th, 2016, 08:28 AM
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My teenage daughter, while we were picking up groceries in Wasilla, remarked at the large number of coffee shops and liquor stores/bars. then said "if I had to live here in the winter I would need lots of caffeine and alcohol".
Feb 29th, 2016, 11:30 AM
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My husband and I went to Alaska in 2009, I think we went August 15-25, definitely at the tail-end of tourist season. Gardyloo is right: at that time, the bugs were gone and autumn color was gorgeous. There were also many fewer people, and we had no trouble getting a campsite.
We rented an RV from Anchorage and drove down the Kenai Peninsula and then up to Denali where we stayed in the park for several nights. My DH drove it mostly. There we had a dusting of snow one morning -- and a "moose jam" one day when the rangers stopped all traffic on the Denali NP road as a big guy had a snack in the trees.
We were extremely lucky, had spectacularly clear weather one day and could see Denali in all her glory. One day we did a ranger-led hike in the bush, another day we took the green school bus out for an hour and then had a good time on a short hike. On the way down to Anchorage we stopped in Talkeetna for lunch.
We had one full day in Anchorage, and we enjoyed the Native Heritage Center a lot.
We used the Alaska Milepost book, along with a regular guide book. I think we started early with the planning, just so we could reserve the campsites at the RV parks we wanted.
The main reason we did it with an RV was because we were hoping it would be cheaper to carry our own food with us. It was certainly more fun -- we were in Homer during a fishing competition and picked up some fresh fish one evening for dinner. It was a treat to cook and eat that outdoors! As for cheaper on the budget, I'm not sure, because groceries were so very expensive in Alaska and we weren't prepared for that completely.
We rented an RV from Anchorage and drove down the Kenai Peninsula and then up to Denali where we stayed in the park for several nights. My DH drove it mostly. There we had a dusting of snow one morning -- and a "moose jam" one day when the rangers stopped all traffic on the Denali NP road as a big guy had a snack in the trees.
We were extremely lucky, had spectacularly clear weather one day and could see Denali in all her glory. One day we did a ranger-led hike in the bush, another day we took the green school bus out for an hour and then had a good time on a short hike. On the way down to Anchorage we stopped in Talkeetna for lunch. We had one full day in Anchorage, and we enjoyed the Native Heritage Center a lot.
We used the Alaska Milepost book, along with a regular guide book. I think we started early with the planning, just so we could reserve the campsites at the RV parks we wanted.
The main reason we did it with an RV was because we were hoping it would be cheaper to carry our own food with us. It was certainly more fun -- we were in Homer during a fishing competition and picked up some fresh fish one evening for dinner. It was a treat to cook and eat that outdoors! As for cheaper on the budget, I'm not sure, because groceries were so very expensive in Alaska and we weren't prepared for that completely.
Mar 1st, 2016, 01:35 AM
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We combined a cruise from Vancouver to Seward with a self-planned tour, which was easy and worked out perfectly.
Here our (somewhat lenghty) trip report (you may skip the first days and start with Seward):
http://www.fodors.com/community/unit...-land-tour.cfm
You are asking for Anchorage. These are our favourite attractions:
- The Native Heritage Center is outstanding. For us, the number-one-attraction in Anchorage.
- The Anchorage Museum has good exhibits, too.
There is also the Lake Hood seaplane port which might be interesting to see - with hundreds of seaplanes parked and always some take-offs and landings.
The natives make a fuss about Earthquake Park, but for a visitor not really much to see.
One of Alaska's best experiences, not far from Anchorage, is Matanuska Glacier. You can walk and climb on the toe of the glacier (a guided tour with proper gear is strongly recommended - we did not and almost broke our necks).
Here our (somewhat lenghty) trip report (you may skip the first days and start with Seward):
http://www.fodors.com/community/unit...-land-tour.cfm
You are asking for Anchorage. These are our favourite attractions:
- The Native Heritage Center is outstanding. For us, the number-one-attraction in Anchorage.
- The Anchorage Museum has good exhibits, too.
There is also the Lake Hood seaplane port which might be interesting to see - with hundreds of seaplanes parked and always some take-offs and landings.
The natives make a fuss about Earthquake Park, but for a visitor not really much to see.
One of Alaska's best experiences, not far from Anchorage, is Matanuska Glacier. You can walk and climb on the toe of the glacier (a guided tour with proper gear is strongly recommended - we did not and almost broke our necks).
Mar 3rd, 2016, 05:53 AM
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Some points I think are important:
Dates of travel are important. e.g.:
- if you want to fish for salmon then you wouldn't go late May or early June
- Seward around July 4th is completely nuts
- If you want a possibility of Northern Lights in the summer then you need to be up here in early September
- typically (but no guarantee) May & June are dryer than July & August
Mode of travel:
- if you are renting a car (which is my recommendation) then book your car now. Check back frequently to see if prices go down.
Where you visit. It's not likely you'll get to see everywhere you want to in AK, so you will have decisions to make. Get out a map (so you can see where things are), and get out your search engine. Go to places that have activities you want to do/see.
For my likes/desires here are the minimum number of nights I suggest for a community/area:
Denali (3N)
Seward (2)
Girdwood/Portage/Whittier (2N)
Talkeetna (2-3hrs to 1N)
Matanuska Glacier (1N)
Homer (2N)
Valdez (2N)
Fairbanks (2N)
Denali Hwy (1N)
Anchorage... Anchorage is great, but the rest of AK is even better. For most short vacations (1 to 2 weeks), don't book anytime in ANC (except perhaps for resting upon arrival). If you end up with unplanned time at the end of your trip, then there are plenty of great things to do in the city.
Dates of travel are important. e.g.:
- if you want to fish for salmon then you wouldn't go late May or early June
- Seward around July 4th is completely nuts
- If you want a possibility of Northern Lights in the summer then you need to be up here in early September
- typically (but no guarantee) May & June are dryer than July & August
Mode of travel:
- if you are renting a car (which is my recommendation) then book your car now. Check back frequently to see if prices go down.
Where you visit. It's not likely you'll get to see everywhere you want to in AK, so you will have decisions to make. Get out a map (so you can see where things are), and get out your search engine. Go to places that have activities you want to do/see.
For my likes/desires here are the minimum number of nights I suggest for a community/area:
Denali (3N)
Seward (2)
Girdwood/Portage/Whittier (2N)
Talkeetna (2-3hrs to 1N)
Matanuska Glacier (1N)
Homer (2N)
Valdez (2N)
Fairbanks (2N)
Denali Hwy (1N)
Anchorage... Anchorage is great, but the rest of AK is even better. For most short vacations (1 to 2 weeks), don't book anytime in ANC (except perhaps for resting upon arrival). If you end up with unplanned time at the end of your trip, then there are plenty of great things to do in the city.
